TURKEY / Holidays & Leasure

Holidays & Leasure

Friday, 1 January
New Year’s Day (Yılbaşı) – National Holiday – First day of the new year.

Saturday, 23 April
National Sovereignty and Children’s Day (Ulusal Eğemenlik ve Çocuk Bayramı) – National Holiday – Commemoration of the first opening of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey in Ankara (1920). Dedicated to the children.

Sunday, 1 May
Labor and Solidarity Day (Emek ve Dayanışma Günü) – National Holiday.

Thursday, 19 May
Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth & Sports Day (Atatürk’ü Anma Gençlik ve Spor Bayramı) – National Holiday – The arrival of Atatürk in Samsun in 1919, the beginning of the War of Independence. Dedicated to the youth.

Monday, 04 July
Sugar (Ramadan) Feast’s Eve (Ramazan Bayramı Arifesi) – Religious Holiday – ½ day.

Tuesday, 05 – Thursday, 07 July
Sugar (Ramadan) Feast (Ramazan Bayramı) – Religious Holidays – Three-day festival to celebrate the end of fasting (Ramadan) where plenty of sweets are eaten.

Tuesday, 30 August
Victory Day (Zafer Bayramı) – National Holiday – Victory over the allied forces during the final battle in Dumlupınar in 1922, ending the War of Independence. Dedicated to the armed forces.

Sunday, 11 September
Feast of the Sacrifice’s Eve (Kurban Bayramı Arifesi) – Religious Holiday – ½ day.

Monday, 12 – Thursday, 15 September
Feast of the Sacrifice (Kurban Bayramı) – Religious Holidays – Four-day festival where sheep are sacrificed/slaughtered and their meat is distributed to the poor.

Friday, 28 October
Republic Day’s Eve (Cumhuriyet Bayramı Arifesi) – National Holiday – ½ day.

Saturday, 29 October
Republic Day (Cumhuriyet Bayramı) – National Holiday – Anniversary of the proclamation of the Turkish Republic in 1923.

School Holidays in Turkey

Semester break 2 weeks
Summer holiday 12 weeks
Festivities in Aydin(2016)
Festivities in Aydın (2016)
Camel Wrestling Festival in İncirliova
Date and Place: İncirliova – January 1
Culture, Art and Camel Wrestling Festival in Germencik
Date and Place: Germencik – 13 January
23.International Camel Wrestling Festival
Date and Place: Çine – February 17

3. Culture, Art and Literature Festival
Date and Place: Nazilli – March 30 to April 8
44. International Culture and Art Festival in Nysa
Date and Place: Sultanhisar – 3 to 5 May
Agriculture, Strawberry, Culture and Art Festival in Atça
Date and Place: Sultanhisar – May 2nd week
Paragliding Festival in Koçarlı
Date and Place: Koçarlı – May 18 to 19
Mountaineering Festival in Koçarlı
Date and Place: Koçarlı – May 26 to 27
Pine Nuts Festival in Koçarlı
Date and Place: Koçarlı – 31 May -02 June
Culture and Art and Promotion Festival in Aphrodisias Karacasu
Date and Place: Karacasu – 1 to 2 September
10th International Folk Dance Festival in Nazilli
Date and Place: Nazilli – 25 March to 3 April
Traditional Fig and Culture Festival in İncirliova
Date and Place: İncirliova – 7 to 8 September
Culture, Art and Fig Festival in Germencik
Date and Place: Germencik – September 7 to 15
Camel Wrestling Festival in Sultanhisar
Date and Place: Sultanhisar – December 22 to 23

Leisure

The cultural activities that one can engage in Turkey are only limited by individual interests and capabilities. Be it arts, hobby, entertainment or other leisure activities, the possibilities are countless. In all major cities movies, plays, concerts, ballets, operas and other varieties of cultural activities are awaiting either participants or spectators. Local festivals and more traditional forms of leisure activities are also rising in popularity.

Turkey’s rich geography and suitable terrain make the country an ideal place for alternative sports such as mountaineering, golf, scuba diving, rafting, skiing and yachting. Naturally, well-established and popular sports like football, basketball, volleyball have a considerable number of players and supporters all over the country.
Geographically located in both Asia and Europe, Turkey has a climate allowing extreme variations in climatic conditions, often in the same region or province. As such, it is possible to go skiing in a mountain resort after sunbathing on a sandy beach, both in the same day.
This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the European Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information there